Ex-Serbian volleyball player hospitalized after protest: 'Unacceptable that those endangered must justify themselves'

Marko Samardžić, a former Serbian volleyball national team player, has spoken out after being hospitalized following events at a March 15 protest. He directly challenges official narratives suggesting students merely simulated the use of a sonic cannon, calling the alleged "exchange of theses" unacceptable.

Samardžić recounted that during a fifteen-minute period of silence at the protest, he experienced a powerful impact. This event caused his pacemaker to react to a sudden heart rate surge exceeding 300 beats per minute, leading to eight defibrillator shocks. He credits four students with providing immediate assistance, risking their safety to transport him to the Narodni Front hospital, where medical staff stabilized him.

Following the incident, Samardžić spent twenty-one days in the hospital, where he underwent a successful heart ablation. He expressed his expectation that the state and all involved parties will discuss the event responsibly and with respect for everyone affected. "It is unacceptable to me that an impression is being created that those whose lives were endangered that night should today be the ones justifying themselves to someone for something," Samardžić stated.

The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade has requested information from the Service for Combating Terrorism regarding documentation from university plenums that allegedly mention plans for a "sonic cannon" simulation at the March 15 protest. The prosecutor's office is investigating potential criminal offenses unrelated to the initial inquiry into the death of a student at the same protest. They aim to identify all participants involved in the alleged simulation plan and interview individuals who publicly claimed a "sonic cannon" was used against protesters.

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It is unacceptable to me that an impression is being created that those whose lives were endangered that night should today be the ones justifying themselves to someone for something.